Lando Norris Clive Rose/Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment After seven seasons since making his F1 debut, Lando Norris has won the 2025 Formula 1 Drivers' Championship. The title fight came down to the last race of the season, at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with three contenders - Norris, 26; four-time World Champion and Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen, 28; and McLaren's Oscar Piastri, 24 - all hoping to take home the top prize. Going into the race, Norris led the World Championship, followed by Verstappen and Piastri. But the latter two drivers weren't far behind, especially the four-time World Champion, as he had made a fierce comeback in the Red Bull car in the second half of the season. Related Stories General News Inside the Star-Studded F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix News Sphere's Orbi Is Watching the Las Vegas Grand Prix in Real Time (Exclusive Video) But after a long 58 laps on the track in the hot desert on Sunday, Verstappen came in first place, followed by Piastri in second and Norris in third. However, even with a third-place finish at the final race of the season, the latter was still able to claim his first Drivers' Championship by two points. Norris' win marks the first time a McLaren driver has won the World Championship since Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time Drivers' Champion who currently drives for Ferrari, in 2008. The Hollywood Reporter chatted with the eldest McLaren driver last year, and when asked where he hopes to see himself in five years, he replied, "Hopefully still in Formula 1 and hopefully a champion by then." So it looks like that goal came a bit earlier, which Norris likely wouldn't complain about. At the time, Norris also shared the biggest challenge he's been able to overcome to help get him to where he is today in his career, which is "probably focusing more on myself and not worrying as much what other people think." "I think I grew up a little bit I think in the correct way, which is always trying to do the right thing and please people and make people smile or never say the wrong thing. And I think that a lot of people are like that, especially when you're in front of a camera and on TV and in the public eye," the F1 driver continued. "But that just is again, very stressful. So trying to be happier to displease people, which doesn't feel like it's the right thing to say, but you can't please everyone. And acknowledging that and understanding that I think allows you to be just more yourself and just allows you to live a bit more freely." Norris joined McLaren in 2019, making his F1 debut with the team. Piastri made his F1 debut in 2023 after joining McLaren as a reserve driver the year prior. Thanks to McLaren's dominance this season, the team also won the Constructors' Championship at the Singapore Grand Prix in October. It marked a back-to-back win for the team, as they also took home the Constructors' title last year. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Women in Entertainment 2025 Former Vampire Slayer Eliza Dushku Is Now Helping Others Fight More Harrowing Demons Sundance Institute Tammie Rosen, Veteran Comms Head for the Sundance Institute, Dies at 49 Women in Entertainment 2025 Dakota Johnson, Regina Hall, Chase Infiniti Present $1M in College Scholarships to High School Seniors at THR Women in Entertainment Gala Women in Entertainment 2025 Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez Celebrate "a Real Sense of Community" at THR Women in Entertainment Event Women in Entertainment 2025 The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program Celebrates 15 Years of Impact THR, Esq Doctor Who Sold Matthew Perry Ketamine Sentenced to 30 Months Women in Entertainment 2025 Former Vampire Slayer Eliza Dushku Is Now Helping Others Fight More Harrowing Demons Sundance Institute Tammie Rosen, Veteran Comms Head for the Sundance Institute, Dies at 49 Women in Entertainment 2025 Dakota Johnson, Regina Hall, Chase Infiniti Present $1M in College Scholarships to High School Seniors at THR Women in Entertainment Gala Women in Entertainment 2025 Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez Celebrate "a Real Sense of Community" at THR Women in Entertainment Event Women in Entertainment 2025 The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Mentorship Program Celebrates 15 Years of Impact THR, Esq Doctor Who Sold Matthew Perry Ketamine Sentenced to 30 Months